Audible signal having glass feed relay

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for producing an audible signal when a voltage is applied thereto. The apparatus includes a reed switch having electrical contact leads, means responsive to the voltage to cause the switch to open and close periodically whereby the leads vibrate, and means responsive to the vibration to produce said signal.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Kajetan Rynowieckl 87 Wessington Ave., Garfield, NJ. 07026 [21] Appl. No. 44,419 [22] Filed June 8, 1970 [45] Patented Sept. 28, 1971 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No.

795,099, Jan. 29, 1969, now abandoned.

[54] AU DIBLE SIGNAL HAVING GLASS REED RELAY Primary Examiner-Harold l. Pitts Attorney-Theodore Jay, Jr.

ABSTRACT: Apparatus for producing an audible signal when a voltage is applied thereto. The apparatus includes a reed 7 Claims 2 Drawing Figs switch having electrical contact leads, means responsive to the [52] US. Cl. 340/384, voltage to cause the switch to open and close periodically 340/407 whereby the leads vibrate, and means responsive to the vibra- [51] Int. Cl. G08b 3/10 tion to produce said signal.

f'\ m I .41: I \L L l 1/ /i u PATENTEU SEP28|97I FIG FIG

INVENTOR. KAJE TAN RYNO WIECK/ BY ATTORNEY CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application, Ser. No. 795,099 filed Jan. 29, 1969, and now abandoned for Audible Signal Minder BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There are many known devices for producing an audible warning signal when a voltage is applied thereto by closing a switch or by other means.

I have invented a new type of apparatus for producing such signals which is inexpensive, operates at very low levels of electric power, and employs vibrating electrical contacts, periodically opened and closed, as a signal source.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In my invention, I employ a reed switch having two oppositely disposed contact leads with adjacent ends adapted to be moved into contact (to close the switch) or moved out of contact (to open the switch) by application of suitable magnet fields. First means disposed adjacent the switch produces a field which normally biases the switch closed. A coil disposed about at least a portion of the switch is connected in series with the switch. When a voltage is applied across the seriesconnected switch and coil, the switch being closed, a current flows through the coil and switch. This current flow through the coil produces a magnetic field therein which acts in opposition to the field of the first means and causes the switch to open. As the switch opens, the field produced by the coil decays and the biasing field regains dominance and causes the switch to close. The switch is thus opened and closed periodically and the switch leads are set into vibration. Second means coupled to at least one of the leads responds to the vibration to produce the desired audible signal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of my invention; and FIG. 2 is a detail view of a portion of my invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a reed switch has an elongated glass envelope with a pair of oppositely disposed contact leads 12 therein and extending out of opposite ends. Magnet means, such as bar magnet 14 disposed parallel to the axis of the envelope and extending along one-half of the envelope, produces a magnetic field which biases adjacent ends of leads 12 into contact wherebygthe reed switch is closed. A coil 24 is disposed concentrically about the other half of the envelope. A capacitor 26 shunts the coil. The coil is connected electrically between one lead 12 and one end of a resistor 16 having various taps 18. The other lead 12 is grounded. Each tap is connected through a corresponding rectifier 20 and a corresponding series connected switch 22 to a point of positive constant potential.

When any switch 22 is closed, a current flows through the closed reed switch and the coil. As a result, a magnetic field is developed within the coil which opposes the field of means 14 and causes the reed switch to open by moving the adjacent ends of leads 12 out of contact. When the reed switch opens, the current flow ceases, the field of the coil decays and, at some point, depending upon the relative field intensities, the means 14 resumes control, the biasing field overcomes the influence of the coil field, and Minder. reed switch closes. This cycle repeats continually as long as the switch 22 is closed, and the reed switch opens and closes periodically at a frequency determined both by the value of capacitor 26 and the value of that portion of resistor 16 in the circuit. Thus each difierent switch 22 has associated therewith a difierent frequenc The reed switch, as it opens and closes, causes lea 12 to vibrate at the switch frequency. Means coupled to at least one lead produces an audible warning signal dependent upon this frequency. For example, the reed switch, together with coil and magnet, can be disposed in a plastic box 28 with leads 12 disposed tightly in holes 30 of the box and slightly recessed in the wall of the box. The vibration of leads 12 is transmitted by contact to the box and sets the box into vibration to produce the desired audible signal.

Typically, switches 22 can be difierent switches, for example, in an automobile, such as the turn signal indicator or a door switch, to sound an alarm when the turn switch is closed or a door is left open.

Means 14 can be any suitable permanent magnet or can be a continuously energized electromagnet such as a second coil. In the latter case, this coil can be disposed about the switch, but the direction of current flow is reversed as compared to coil 24. When alternating voltages are applied across a coil disposed around a reed switch, the periodic reversals of direction of the magnetic field will cause the switch to open and close periodically, causing vibrations in the manner described above. When this structure is employed, the magnet and capacitor can be eliminated.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for producing an audible signal when a suitable voltage is applied between first and second terminals, said apparatus comprising:

a reed switch having an elongated envelope with two contact leads therein and extending out of opposite ends, said switch being closed when said leads are connected together and being open when said leads are separated;

first magnet means disposed adjacent said switch to apply a biasing magnetic field thereto to maintain the switch in normally closed position;

a coil disposed circumferentially about at least a portion of said switch whereby when a current of sufficient value flows through said coil, a magnetic field acting in opposition to the biasing field is produced and opens said switch; and

second means connecting said coil and switch in series between said terminals whereby the interaction of the field of the coil with the field of the first means causes said switch to open and close periodically in the presence of said voltage and said leads vibrate accordingly.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further including third means responsive to the vibrations of at least one of said leads to produce said signal.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means includes a resistance in series with the coil and switch.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 further including a capacitor connected across the coil.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said magnet means is a bar magnet.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein the elongated axis of said magnet is parallel to the elongated axis of the switch, said magnet extending along a portion of the envelope, said coil being disposed about substantially all of the remaining portion.

7. In combination:

a reed switch having an elongated envelope with two contact leads therein and extending out of opposite ends, said switch being closed when the leads are connected together and being open when the leads are separated;

means responsive to an applied voltage to cause said switch to open and close periodically whereby the leads vibrate; and

means responsive to said vibration to produce an audible signal. 

1. Apparatus for producing an audible signal when a suitable voltage is applied between first and second terminals, said apparatus comprising: a reed switch having an elongated envelope with two contact leads therein and extending out of opposite ends, said switch being closed when said leads are connected together and being open when said leads are separated; first magnet means disposed adjacent said switch to apply a biasing magnetic field thereto to maintain the switch in normally closed position; a coil disposed circumferentially about at least a portion of said switch whereby when a current of sufficient value flows through said coil, a magnetic field acting in opposition to the biasing field is produced and opens said switch; and second means connecting said coil and switch in series between said terminals whereby the interaction of the field of the coil with the field of the first means causes said switch to open and close periodically in the presence of said voltage and said leads vibrate accordingly.
 2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further including third means responsive to the vibrations of at least one of said leads to produce said signal.
 3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means includes a resistance in series with the coil and switch.
 4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 further including a capacitor connected across the coil.
 5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said magnet means is a bar magnet.
 6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein the elongated axis of said magnet is parallel to the elongated axis of the switch, said magnet extending along a portion of the envelope, said coil being disposed about substantially all of the remaining portion.
 7. In combination: a reed switch having an elongated envelope with two contact leads therein and extending out of opposite ends, said switch being closed when the leads are connected together and being open when the leads are separated; means responsive to an applied voltage to cause said switch to open and close periodically whereby the leads vibrate; and means responsive to said vibration to produce an audible signal. 